


Warmth

by SapphireSassenach



Category: Outlander (TV), Outlander Series - Diana Gabaldon
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-24
Updated: 2016-01-27
Packaged: 2018-05-15 20:30:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5798887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SapphireSassenach/pseuds/SapphireSassenach
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt from tumblr: Could you write a moment between Jamie and Claire while they are still collecting rents? Like a special moment of bonding between them and Claire thinks of how attractive he is?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The combination of the red-orange flames of the small camp fire and the warmth of the amber hued whiskey heated me from the tips of my ears to the soles of my feet and created a sort of surreal ambiance in the small glade that the Mackenzie rent party had stopped at to sleep.  
The warmth was most welcome on this freezing, Scottish night. We had been meant to spend the night in an Inn; however, Dougal was determined to make better time. So, we all passed the Inn and promise of warm food and blankets with much regret. Instead, we got a supper of drammach with ale and a bed of stone.

As I looked down unimpressed at the hard granite after a full day on horseback, I decided to venture over to the fire and have myself a wee nip from a flask to help soften the blow of sleeping on the cold ground. Maybe more than a wee nip.

The men had all gone to their mutual patches of grass to sleep for a few hours but I had stayed up, unwilling to toss and turn to the rhythm of a restless mind. It was getting harder to sleep as the days went on as I continued to get farther away from the stone circle.

I thought that being on the road would help me get back to fairy hill and back to my own time. Though as the days went, I feel like that possibility grew further away with every passing minute.

I tipped the flask back once more, letting the burning liquid slide down my throat and numb some of these more depressing musings.  
As I stared into the dancing fire, watching the hypnotic flames, I felt myself fall into a trance like state. I had no notion of how long I sat there, everything seemed to fade to the background, the humming of my mind quieted.

I didn’t notice my companion until he sat down next to me. There was no need to turn to see who my visitor was; I knew it was Jamie. I didn’t want to think about why I knew this with such certainty.

Perhaps it was his warmth, Jamie seemed to radiate heat like no other. I remembered that from our first night together, another night where the cold air seemed to pierce right through you. The warmth he radiated and his plaid wrapped around me was the only thing from that kept me from getting frostbite that fateful night.

I also remembered how he kept me warm as we sat by the fire at Leoch as I shivered in fear at the realization that I had tumbled through time. I also remember that moment when he held me on his lap as I wept and I felt his-

Stop it, Beauchamp!

I shook my head slightly as a heat rose to my cheeks that had nothing to do with the whiskey or fire. I simply held the flask out to Jamie in greeting.

As he took the drink from me, his fingers brushed mine causing an electric shiver to bolt up my spine. I inched a little away from him on the log discreetly, as I asked-

“Can’t sleep?”

I saw his head turn in my direction but I kept my eyes on the fire as if it held the secrets of man.

“No,” he replied softly, “Angus was snoring on my left and Murtaugh, I’m afraid, has bad flatulence this evening.”

I laughed loudly, causing a spray of whiskey to fly out of my mouth and into the fire with a sizzle. Jamie chuckled at this display as he took a gulp of his own.

My cheeks reddened even further as I turned to meet his gaze. His eyes were soft and contained something much deeper than amusement as he gazed at me, his breath swirling around him in a frosty cloud. I felt as if my body was suddenly a live wire as our eyes locked, the air surrounding us was heavy with the knowledge that there was an attraction between us that was more than a simple friendship.  
My hand ached to wrap itself around his and trace the shape of his lips with my own. It was loneliness in part that made me weak and I was still aware enough to recognize that. I missed the feeling of being close to someone, to feel their warmth and embrace sheltering me from everything that could harm me.

Jamie’s mouth turned up in a slightly awkward grin as he broke our intense gaze and looked down at his hands.  
I knew he felt it as well, the promise of something more, something unknown. The heat of the whiskey and the fire made me brave and slightly reckless, and with nothing to lose, I scooted back closer to him so that my body pressed against his. He stiffened slightly as I moved my hand to lie on his and put my head onto his shoulder.

We sat like that for a long moment, with him scarcely breathing and back straight as a rod. I, on the other hand, melted like a candle into his warmth and nuzzled my head into his neck. He smelled pleasantly of a man, with a tinge of sweat and grass.

I let my breath out and sagged against his side, feeling relaxed for the first time in weeks.

He finally let a small breath of amusement as I cuddled into his side like a kitten. He moved his arm to lie on my back and brought me even closer to him, his head turned and his nose brushed against my forehead and I thought I felt the slight touch of his lips on my hair but I couldn’t be sure.

His other hand reached around and brushed my cheek with the tips of his fingers, feeling the heat on the surface. He paused slightly and glanced at the other empty flask at my feet.

“Ahh,” he whispered with realization and an undertone of a certain sadness that I couldn’t understand.

I giggled against his shoulder like a school girl and I felt him smile slightly against me.

He tapped my nose with his pointer finger. “A little worse for drink, are ye now, Sassenach?”

I giggled again and cuddled closer into him, almost in his lap at this point. I closed my eyes, suddenly exhausted from the overwhelming feeling of safety and security.

I heard him whisper something low in Gaelic in my ear as he buried his nose in my curls, tightening his hold on me as if he was prepared to hold me for the rest of time.

I must have dozed off because the next thing I remember was Jamie carrying me back to a soft grassy area and laying me down onto the cool ground, tucking a blanket around me. I drifted back to sleep as he leaned down to kiss my forehead very softly.

“Dinna worry yerself, lass,” he whispered, “ye won’t remember this come morning.”

I thought his voice sounded very sad again and I reached out to brush his cheek, but he stood and vanished into the inky blackness of the night.

 

 

I woke in the morning groggy with a terrible headache, from the rumbling of the men as they packed the campsite away.

I stumbled to my feet, clumsily. I would have fallen over if not for the strong hand catching me under my elbow. I looked up, bleary eyed, into the gaze of Jamie MacTavish.

“Thank you,” I replied, my voice sounding like I haven’t used it in years.

“Yer welcome, Sassenach,” he said quietly. His eyes searched mine for a moment and I quirked my eyebrow in question.

His eyes broke from mine and smiled tightly. “Best hurry up, Dougal wants to be on the road directly.” He turned to walk back to ready the horses but spared me a glance over his shoulder.

“Best have a taste of drink to help with the headache, it will be a long ride today.”

I watch him walk away, back towards the other men and wondered briefly how he knew I had a headache. The only memory of the night I had was the feeling of warmth that heated me to the bone, chasing away the icy pain of loneliness. A warmth that made my heart race and cheeks flush. I wondered if I had spoken to Jamie last night as the heat from his recent touch still tingled and burned through my sleeve.


	2. Warmth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt from Tumblr: Follow up to my ask about a continuation of the cuddles prompt: maybe a small fast forward to these two having another sweet cuddly prewedding bonding momemt? Maybe where Claire has to be a bit more honest with herself & Jamie about her feelings?

“ACHOO!”

I jumped slightly as I heard the explosive sneeze from behind me. My horse was startled as well, letting all the breath out of his nose in one angry snort, ears twitching nervously.

I tried to settle him best I could and then turned to see who was the Scotsman responsible for the exclamation.

It was Jamie, a kind of Jamie I hadn’t seen before. His normally clear eyes were glassy and his face was paler than mine, making his bright red nose stick out in a slightly comical way. His hand was pressed hard against it to try and make it stop running.

I sighed lightly, I knew this would happen. Dougal had been making men stand watch as we slept -whether it was a field or an Inn- after a recent attempt to raid cattle had gone awry, causing the owners to chase the few men who had accompanied him for miles.

We had stopped at an Inn the previous night to finally escape from the pissing rain and freezing air. Dougal, smirking like the devil he was, gave Jamie the job of lookout last night, causing him to be open to the extreme elements all night, despite my protests.

I let my horse slow, so I was side by side to Jamie’s. He opened his mouth to greet me and was stopped as another violent sneeze came over him. I plucked the extra handkerchief from my sleeve and reached over to allow him to snatch it quickly from my grasp, pressing it hard against his nose.

I couldn’t help but notice his skin was burning hotter than usual from his brief touch, though he shook with tremors on his horse.

“Th-tha-thank ye,” he mumbled through a throat that sounded like it was raw.

Something will have to be done about that, I thought to myself as we pressed on to the next village.

 

 

“He can’t go anywhere today! Look at him!”

I exclaimed to Dougal as we both looked down at his nephew, shivering on the ground of the Inn we stayed at the night before.  
Jamie’s cold had only gotten worse as yesterday wore on, with him almost collapsing onto the ground when we stopped to rest, but I managed to get some hot stew into him before he fell into a restless sleep.

Dougal stared down his nose at him, disapprovingly, tapping his left foot in impatience.

“It’s your bloody fault for making him stay in the freezing rain all night,” I said accusingly at him.

He glanced at me, eyeing my crossed arms and cross face. He looked back to Jamie, who was paler than ever before and currently unable to speak from the shaking of his illness.

“Fine,” Dougal said, with a deep tone of annoyance.

“Ye’ll stay with him here and mend him. We will go to the next village and collect the rents and come back for ye in a few days’ time.”  
And in a flurry of plaid, he was out the door.

I looked at Murtaugh, who shrugged at this display and bent down to hoist Jamie over his shoulder.

“I’ll be getting him in a bed, you go fetch whatever it is ye need to help the lad.”

And with that, he wobbled his way to the stairs with Jamie moaning unintelligibly all the way.

 

 

Jamie burned with fever the whole night, mumbling and tossing in the sheets on the rough Inn bed. I sat in the chair next to him, watching over him as the sickness ran its course. I fed him broth and water when ever he was aware enough to accept the spoon.  
I brushed a lock of damp hair from his hot forehead, checking if the fever had diminished any. I had been applying cool water all day and night to try and ease it.

I knew it was just a bad cold, but I still couldn’t shake the fear of the prospect of losing him. He was my only friend on the road and I took comfort in his presence, his promise of protection, and his company.

My hand lingered on his face, tracing the bold sweep of his cheek gently. His glassy blue eyes opened slightly in response to my touch.

“Sassenach?” A very raspy voice asked.

I smiled as a little recognition rose to his eyes and I touched his shoulder lightly in response. “Yes, Jamie. I’m right here.”

His face transformed into a grin as he eyes slid shut slowly and turned his face towards my voice. His clammy, trembling hand came to rest upon mine, grip surprisingly strong. He brought my hand to rest on his burning cheek and nuzzled it, letting all his breath out in a sigh of contentment.

“I knew…Mo Nighean Donn…I knew that ye would…,” he mumbled against my hand, breath as hot as a thousand suns.

His lips brushed my palm as he spoke again. “I ken ye would under…understand,” he said, coughing weakly as his other hand moved to cup my cheek.

The warmth of his hand burned through me as if I was the one with a fever. I stared down at him, my back stiff and my hand immobile in his.  
His burning hand came around to the back of my neck and buried itself into my hair. He rubbed my head for a moment before tugging it gently, encouraging me to come down to his level.

I allowed it and tentatively lowered my head. He surprised me though, and guided my head to rest on his fever warm chest.

“Mo…Mo ghràidh,” he whispered weakly, cupping my head like a child, and moving down to stroke my back gently, causing my skin to break out in goose flesh.

He let out a deep sigh once more and after a few moments his breathing slipped into a more rhythmic, deeper pattern and I knew him to be asleep.

Despite this knowledge, I let my head continue to rest against him, enjoying the feeling of his warmth. The warmth that reminded me so much of that night by the fire as I drank my weight in whiskey.

Suddenly, I was struck by a bolt of forgotten memory. Glimpses of that night flashed before my eyes like a film. Memories of Jamie on that cold winter night. I did talk to him that night. More than talk.

I remembered the way I reached out to him as I shook in fear and loneliness. I remembered how he gripped me hard against him, letting his fiery warmth seep into my chilled bones. I remembered his soft, gentle kisses. I remember the warmth, the comfort, the shelter. I remember him.  
I let out a shaky breath as deep feeling swirled through me like a hurricane, the winds of emotion making me tremble as much as him. I slowly lifted my head from his chest and gazed down at his sleeping, innocent face.

“Oh, Jamie,” I sighed as unwelcome tears slide out of the corners of my eyes.

I wouldn’t tell him I remembered, nor would I tell him of what he did tonight. I couldn’t. I wouldn’t. For, I could never let these feelings develop, I told myself. I had a husband. I had a life.

I needed to get back to the stones before my leaving would hurt him any more than it needed to. Or me. I felt a sharp stab at my heart at the thought of leaving soon. Leaving him here. Leaving Jamie.

I stood quickly, shaking as I rubbed my sweaty hands on my skirts, trying to rub away these feelings. I went to the window in the small room and cracked it to let the cool, crisp air wash over me. 

Chasing away the warmth of the man in the bed. A warmth that I have craved and ached for in my sleep since the first time I felt it. I closed my eyes as I let out a deep breath to steady myself.

“Oh, dear,” I said quietly. “What have you done, Beauchamp?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! As always your comments are most welcome!


	3. Warmth

Jamie hummed in contentment as I stroked his bare chest, swirling my fingers in circles across the toned stomach, feeling the slight dampness from his previous exertions.

We were lying on the bed at the Inn in a cocoon of satisfied desire, legs intertwined on the soft furs, heated from the combined warmth of our bodies. My head was resting on his chest as one of his hands ran down the length of my body, one hand ghosting over my spine, caressing my hip. It had been another night of exploration, of intimacy.

I was content lying draped across his chest, feeling it rise and fall against me as he breathed. It had only been two days after our impromptu wedding, and being with him was just easy. I couldn’t have imagined how at ease I would feel with him; feeling his naked body against mine. I didn’t understand how I could already enjoy him so much, how I could find so much happiness in watching him discover me.

I felt an enormous amount of guilt over finding pleasure with him when Frank probably thought me dead. I should have stopped after the first time, the only time we really needed to consummate our marriage.

However, even as I thought this, I let my head relax further into my second husband’s warmth and gently kissed his collar bone as he continued his exploration, now grazing his finger tips on my thighs.

“Ciamar a tha thu, Sassenach?”

I moved my head to gaze up at him. He glowed in the candlelight, his gentle face sprinkled with shadows and flecks of golden light.

I smiled lazily at him, stretching against him like a cat in the sun.

“That means…how are you, correct?”

His eyebrows raised in approval as he looked down at me, with a twinkle in his sapphire eyes.

“Aye. I’m quite impressed, lass.”

I smiled back at him as I laid my head back on his chest, the curve of my cheek fitting perfectly into the hallow of his chest. I brushed my nose back and forth against him and his hands reached farther down to cup my behind.

I chuckled lightly against him. “I’m picking up a few things.”

He hummed against me again as he gently rolled on top of me. He leaned down to kiss me, his hair coming down in wavy strands across my face, blocking everything out except him.

I kissed him back, opening to him. My tingling lips parted in desire as he moved down to press open mouthed kisses on my neck.

“I must have picked some up from your fever mutterings.” My voice trembling slightly as he kissed his way down my body, pausing at my navel at this statement.

He glanced up at me, blue eyes slightly alarmed as his curls fell over his face.

“Oh, aye?” He said, cautiously. He stopped his affections and came to rest beside me again.

“What did I say, then?” He asked, smirking at me, though I could see slight concern in his eyes as his eyebrows were slightly knit together.  
I snuggled closer to him, wrapping my arms around his middle and ran my hands down his back.

“Don’t worry, I didn’t understand any of it,” I chuckled against him. Letting my own hands wander as I gripped his own fine arse in my hands, which tightened and then relaxed in response to my attentions.

“It sounded like mo gry…or something of the like.”

Jamie’s whole body tensed slightly as his wandering hands froze once more. He gazed down at me, his eyes holding something just beneath their glimmering surface. 

His gaze trapped mine to a snare, boring into mine, reaching deep all the way into my heart and gripping it in a vice. His fingers reached up to brush my cheek, stroking gently.

I hiccupped lightly and broke the intense gaze, feeling breathless.

“What does it mean?” I asked, staring at my own finger tips, not allowing my gaze to stray from them.

He gathered me against him again, so our bodies were pressed along every inch of each other’s. His foot rubbed up my ankle, moving up to stroke my calve with his big toe causing a giggle to escape me. He moved down to press a lingering kiss to my forehead.

“Nothing, it was just the fever talking nonsense,” he whispered against my temple, his lips moving to graze my earlobe. I shivered, letting out a breath as he continued this pattern down to my neck.

“Hmm,” I hummed as he kissed his way back down my body, attending to every inch of my skin he missed before.

I brushed his hair back from his face as he suckled on the skin of my hip. “Why do I think that’s not true?” I asked, softly.

His lips paused against me. He let out a breath and moved to lie back on top of me, his elbows planted on either side of my head as he stared down at me as we lay belly to belly.

His eyes searched mine for a moment as he thought of his response. His mouth quirked to the side slightly and let out a forced laugh as he looked away from my eyes.

“I told ye there are some things that I wilna tell ye yet. Perhaps, in time, but no right now.”

I opened my mouth to protest but he promptly kissed me once more as his hand slithered between my thighs.

“Oh!” I squeaked.

It turns out his fingers were quite strong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! As always your comments are most welcome1


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asks from tumblr: Chapter idea for "Warmth" after Claire chooses Jamie or directly after the witch trial them all cuddly and she is thinking about how she's admited she loves Jamie but hasn't told him that yet and what to do about it. Just an idea thanks for writing<3
> 
> Anonymous: I see that Warmth on AO3 has a ? For chapters. Does this mean that there a possibility of more? I love this fic it’s sweet and simple. Not sure where you want to go for the next installment night after the witch trial? After she chooses? Lallybroch?

Rupert winced as I stitched his bloodied forehead, resulting from a game of shinty gone wrong. Or perhaps the usual as I was beginning to learn, highlanders seemed to beat each other for the simple sake of entertainment. 

“You really should practice more caution. You could get a concussion.”

Rupert eyed me for a moment in confusion, with an eyebrow cocked and his usual lewd grin gone. 

“A concussion,” he spoke carefully, as if the word would bite him if he spoke incorrectly.

“Yes, a concussion,” I said as I looked down at him firmly as I began to wrap the linen bandage around his head. “Try to avoid any strenuous activities for the next few days while that heals.”

The lewd grin floated back onto his face as his eyes gleamed with opportunity. 

“No promises there, lass. I have a meeting with a fair fat maiden tonight and I think she might want me to perform. I’m like bull, ye ken?” He chuckled, but broke off as the pressure made him wince. 

I rolled my eyes and tucked the bandage.

“Your done. Goodbye, Rupert. It’s been a pleasure as always.” 

I moved over to the basin to rinse my hands of blood and began tidying up. 

Rupert chuckled as he stood from the stool and moved to the stairs. 

I was suddenly struck by an idea as I heard him mutter something, most likely a suggestive comment, in Gaelic. 

“Rupert!”

He halted as he turned towards me, raising his wayward eyebrows. “Aye? Ye be needin’ more of my services?”

I ignored his comment and hesitated briefly before asking the question that had been floating around in my mind for weeks. 

“What does mo gry mean in Gaelic?” 

He cocked his head to the side as he looked me up and down. His eyes twinkled and for a second I thought Jamie was calling me something entirely different than I thought. 

Rupert’s whole face transformed into a massive, knowing smile.

“Yer saying it wrong, mo ghràidh, ye mean?”

I glanced away from his eyes, focusing on rearranging some of the herbs on the table.

“Yes,” I said without looking at him.

He chuckled heartily again at me as started walking backwards to the stairs once more towards the stairs. 

“It means, my love.”

 

 

As I sat in the great hall at dinner that night, I wondered just how long Jamie has loved me. I watched him as he sat next to me, trading jokes and stories with some of the men seated at our table. He had called me mo ghràidh from almost the start, I thought. The first time a soothing whisper as I wept in his arms that first night at the castle. 

Even as he talked to others and ate his way through the table, he always kept some part of himself touching me. His hand on my leg under the table, his foot nudging mine, his side pressed against me lightly. I thought this might be his way of telling me the words I could not yet understand, by telling me with his body. He told me every night as he loved me in our bed. He told me with a simple kiss on my hand; he told me when he looked at me with his face as soft and tender as velvet. 

Part of me always knew, but a part I didn’t want to acknowledge. I knew every since he warmed me by the fire or when he held me against his heart when he burned with fever. A deep part of my heart unknown to my mind but becoming more known with every passing minute. It was much to late to spare our feelings if I went back through the stones. I would hurt Jamie more than I could imagine if I abandoned him now.

I must have let out a noise of distress as he turned to look down at me with questioning, concerned eyes. 

I tried to smile back at him weakly as I reached for another bannock as a distraction. 

“What is it, mo ghràidh?”

I closed my eyes and let out a small breath, then turning to look into his soft eyes. I patted his hand that was resting on my thigh.

“Nothing, Jamie. Nothing just now.”

And as I looked into his gentle, loving face, nothing was. 

 

 

I lay with my head against Jamie’s chest, cradled in an embrace of his warmth and the promise of our future. We had traveled all of yesterday to get as far as possible from the screams of the stones, both desperate to put as many miles between us and the threatening hill as possible. 

When we stopped to rest for the night, Jamie told me we were only another day’s ride from Lallybroch. That statement filling me with as much joy as anxiety. 

But right now, none of that mattered as I lay with him, the weight of decision and indecisiveness lifted from my shoulders as I had made my final decision. Though, I think I had made it long before yesterday. Jamie’s warmth and love the strongest beckoning of my heart and soul. Stronger than the call of the stones and much stronger than the call my first husband has ever had on my body. 

I pressed a kiss to his warm neck, content just to be next to him. I snuggled into him as a thought drifted into my mind.

“I know what mo ghràidh means, you know,” I said in a light voice as he moved his head in response in my voice. We hadn’t spoken in a while, content just to be cuddled into each other’s warmth. 

I looked up at him and his eyes seemed untroubled, face utterly relax and peaceful. He smiled at me tenderly as he traced the curve of my cheek.

“Do ye now?”

I closed my eyes in response to his touch, making my already flushed skin glow like a ember in the flames for him. I turned my head and kissed his thumb as I hummed in affirmation. 

He titled my head up so I would meet his eyes. “And how long have ye known that wee bit of information?”

“A little while. Though I think some part of me maybe always knew,” I spoke softly.

His face was as tender as lamb as he moved to kiss me. A kiss of knowing, of love.

“Well, it has always been true, mo ghràidh,” he muttered against my lips, “ever since the start.” His voice breaking slightly at the end as he spoke, rough with emotion. 

A tear escaped my eye as I clutched him hard. Just yesterday I had come so close to losing him forever, a thought that made my heart drop just from thinking of the pain. 

I nodded my head slightly against him as I tried to rein in my own emotions enough to tell him my own truth.

“I love you, Jamie.”

He pulled back to look at my face once more as his eyes glistened at my overdue confession. He pressed his forehead against mine and I felt a drop from one of his tears land on my face, running down my cheek in unison with my own, twisting together in an embrace of devotion and love.

He pulled me tight against his chest, squeezing the breath out of my lungs, and we simply held each other. I don’t know how long we lay like that, like magnets sucked together by some force of nature to powerful to break apart. 

His warmth blotted everything out. A warmth that has beckoned me since the start, that filled every pour of my bones and flesh with a glow of comfort and passion. A warmth that I would never let leave my side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! As always let me know what you think!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! As always your comments are most welcome!


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